Meyer braces for forwards ‘arm wrestle’

LONDON: Veteran lock Victor Matfield was set to play a role off the bench against Wales in Saturday’s World Cup quarterfinal as part of coach Heyneke Meyer’s grand plan to win the match in the final quarter of what he says will be “an arm wrestle from start to finish”.

In the end, Matfield’s troublesome hamstring had the final say, and Pieter-Steph du Toit has been promoted in his place.

Meyer has made just one change to his starting line-up that played against the USA – wing JP Pietersen returns from injury for Lwazi Mvovo – but on the bench there are four changes.

The experienced quartet of Adriaan Strauss, Jannie du Plessis, Ruan Pienaar and Pat Lambie – with 252 caps between them – return to give the Boks the calmness – rather than youthful exuberance – the coach wants for a period of play in which he believes the game will be won and lost.

“We lost to New Zealand and Australia in the Rugby Championship because we did not have experienced players on the field in the closing stages. You need this kind of experience on the bench in a knockout match,” said Meyer.

“Victor was meant to be part of this second-half plan.”

A minor surprise was that fit-again Jannie du Plessis was not recalled to the front row.

“Frans Malherbe played well against the USA and I wanted to go with continuity for this game, with just the one change on the wing, and then have players like Jannie lined up to steady the ship in that mad final quarter,” Meyer said.

“Slowly, but surely, our pack is playing the type of rugby I wanted from them right from the start, and I did not want to disrupt that.”

Meyer said the unrelenting pressure of knockout rugby meant the forward battle had an even greater significance.

“World Cup rugby is all about winning the forward battle. This game is going to come down to a penalty here or there. It will be a 9-6 type of game,” Meyer said.

“We are not fooled by Wales having had too many injuries, they have still got a brilliant side. They don’t concede tries – only two in the first four games – and they play a very disciplined type of rugby.

“There are no weak areas. They are very direct and use their big 12 (Jamie Roberts) to run up and build phases to put you under pressure with your discipline.”

And discipline is an issue for a Springbok side that conceded the most penalties of all 20 teams in the pool stages.

“Discipline is going to be very important. Wales are a team that thrive on getting over the advantage line. They are a very dangerous team,” Meyer said.

“They get their loose forwards in over the ball and use their backs as big ball-runners to smash over the advantage line.

“In a sense, they are a lot like us. That is why it is going to be a gigantic arm wrestle, with few tries and the goal kickers deciding the outcome.”